Becky Pringle, the head of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, gave what some could argue is the best advertisement for homeschooling yet. In a speech before nearly 7,000 delegates at the 103rd Representative Assembly in Philadelphia, Pringle not only attacked the “tyrannical, deceitful, and corrupt” Trump administration, but also vowed to fight parental choice in education, backed President Biden’s re-election campaign, DEI, abortion, and LGBTQ+ rights, and insisted the NEA must win “all the things.” But it wasn’t just her speech that had people talking, it was her delivery that really turned heads. Some even equated it with how The Office’s Dwight Schrute gave speeches.
Pringle began by quoting a poem from Amanda Gorman that was delivered at Biden’s inauguration, pledging to “not march back to what was.” From there, she raged against the Trump administration.
“We worked hard to rid ourselves of a tyrannical, deceitful, and corrupt White House, but the reality is that the seeds that were sown during that horrible season continue to germinate,” she said.
“Today, they sprout as vitriol toward our profession; increased marginalization of Black, brown, AAPI, and Indigenous communities; rising hatred toward our LGBTQ+ siblings,” Pringle continued. “The seeds of hate manifest themselves as attacks against our freedom to teach; our students’ freedom to learn. They've mushroomed into the poisonous spores of a stacked Supreme Court—one that continues to render decisions that attack, diminish, and disregard the needs and lived experiences of far too many Americans.”
Continuing with her theme of ‘not going back,’ Pringle gave a pitch more appropriate for the DNC.
“That necessarily means our work must be about electing people who care about our students and educators; families and communities; our nation’s future," she said. "That’s why we will re-elect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, our Pro-childcare; Pro-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Pro-universal meals; Pro-voting rights; Pro-schools free of gun violence; Pro-racial and social justice friends who have been the strongest champions of public education, of educators, and of the labor movement in the history of our nation.
"And we can’t stop there," Pringle continued. "We must elect both a Senate and a House that will work with our president to advance student loan forgiveness; that will enhance the rights our LGBTQ+ community; that will protect a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body!"
The nation's largest teachers union just endorsed Joe Biden.
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) July 7, 2024
The union's staff went on strike during their annual conference.
Joe Biden canceled his speech at their convention after the strike was announced.
This video should count as an in-kind contribution for Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/G5r5k2e5oL
Pringle also took a shot at school choice.
Teachers union president Becky Pringle fighting to trap kids in her failing government schools. pic.twitter.com/P0z0ak54ye
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) July 6, 2024
Check out some other "highlights" from the "rousing speech," as NEA described it.
Parents: What’s your plan to improve the dismal quality of education?
— Jason Bedrick 🇺🇸🎗️🇮🇱 (@JasonBedrick) July 7, 2024
Becky Pringle: WE HAVE TO WIN ALLLLL THE THINGS!!!
Parents: Isn’t that unrealistic?
BP: WE WILL KEEP GOING FORWARD!!!
Parents: But you’re driving us off a cliff!
BP: WE ARE THE NEA!!! THAT’S WHAT WE DO!!! pic.twitter.com/ubNHORthn0
STRANGER THAN FICTION: The NEA's Becky Pringle, the unhinged Democrat activist who represents government teachers, copied The Office's Dwight Schrute's infamous speaking style this weekend. Who did it better? pic.twitter.com/sD27oQ9oh7
— @amuse (@amuse) July 8, 2024
Parents Defending Education president Nicki Neily noticed one major issue that was missing from the speech:
The president of the largest teachers union in America delivered a 28-minute speech at their annual convention.
— Nicki Neily (@nickineily) July 8, 2024
There wasn’t a single mention of student learning loss. https://t.co/37QCDDFkte pic.twitter.com/lU4e3Modqc
